As many of you know Nick and I aren't the wild party, bar-hopping types. But we did get out and celebrate in our own way. The weather was great...a little cool but there was plenty of sunshine.
I actually got the idea from one of my friends Jen (a fellow blogger). Check her out here: http://adailythoughteatsandgoings.blogspot.com. She moved here with her fiance who is at NYU. She documents all her NYU experiences and she loves food! There are so many places that Nick and I have wanted to try and reading her blog from last weekend made me decide Nick and I had to have our own NYC food tour.
Nick and I ventured downtown (East Village, Greenwich, West Village). There are a lot of places that we have wanted to try but sometimes it's just so hard to get down there. Here is a recount of our all our stops:
First up, Doughnut Plant
Yes, that one. The one that is featured on all the shows like the Cooking Channel, HGTV, Travel Channel. Now I love, and I mean love, my doughnuts from home. Nothing quite compares to Donut Palace in Coppell, TX. I had high expectations... And they were met. Granted they were different from back home but every bit as delicious. I ordered the cake cinnamon doughnut (I know, traditional... but I like traditional doughnuts) and Nick had the Hazelnut and chocolate doughnut and the tres leches (he went back for seconds even after I explained it would be a long day of eating and he needed to pace himself)!
Ranking:
Cinnamon Cake: 8/10
Hazelnut: 7.5/10
Tres leches: 10/10
Cost: $10
Next, Katz's Delicatessen:
Yep, the famous one from When Harry Met Sally (yes, we saw the sign where Meg Ryan had her famous scene). It's been there since 1888 serving the best sandwiches! I had read it has a tendency to get busy as the day goes on. We arrived around 11am and it was just starting to get busy. Nick and I weren't sure of what to order... we had his phone out to look up the names of the sandwiches on Google. Ha! We ended up ordering the Reuben (minus the sauerkraut). It was surprisingly better than I thought... I'm not a big sandwich person but the meat was really fresh. There was a sauce that came on the sandwich that was a little different... not Nick's favorite since it had some green chucks in it. But overall pretty not bad and pretty cool to be in a restaurant that has survived through so much.
Rating:
7-8/10 (I was a 7 and Nick was an 8... he thought we could have picked a better sandwich for our tastes)
Cost: $20
Third on the spot, S'Mac:
All you can eat macaroni and cheese in many different kind of flavors. With all those different flavors what did we choose? Yes, the traditional 4 cheese. I know, I know... not that exciting but it was so good! And super heavy... we definitely needed to pace ourselves. All of the cheeses melted together wonderfully! Nick also ordered a Stewart's cherry and cream soda. He had never seen one of those before and had to try it. We did not finish all of the mac-n-cheese (this was a 'small'!)... but we did enjoy every bite!
Rating:
8/10
Cost: $11
It continues at, Pommes Frites:
Bring on the french fries! I absolutely love french fries and this was one of the stops I was most looking forward to. These were some of the best authentic Belgium fries I've ever tasted! Warm, fresh, and delicious. We ordered three different sauces: cheese, sun-dried tomato mayo, and sweet chili. Now, here is where my disappointment comes in... neither of us liked any of the sauces. We did not choose well. I'd rather eat the fries plain that ruin them with those three sauces. They did have others so next time we will have to try some more. I might be a plain fries and ketchup kind of girl though.
Rating:
Fries: 9/10
Sauces: 2/10 (we are being generous)
Cost: $7
Next up, Mamouns:
This was one of Nick's choices. He had been here before and wanted me to experience it. Now, Middle Eastern food it quite a stretch for me but I went into it with an open mind. I relied on Nick to figure out what to order. It was all gibberish to me! We ended up with a Kafta sandwich... this is a seasoned lamb with onions and parsley ground into a patty. Add in some lettuce and tomatoes and you have got a pretty good sandwich. I'll admit it's not my favorite... the patty had a unique taste. But for it being my first experience it was surprisingly decent. I didn't spit it out on the first bite... that says a lot.
Rating:
6 & 8/10 (Guess which one I am... yep, the 6)
Cost: $5.50
Continuing on at, Joe's Pizza:
I always pass this spot on the way to NYU when I met Nick down by campus. He's never stopped at it before and you can't have a food tour and not have a pizza stop. That would be a crime. Apparently a lot of celebrities frequent this place so it must be good, right? And it was. Probably one of the better slices of pizza I've had in the city. For some reason I seem to be pretty picky with pizza. I can't say that I've found a place that has really blown me away. Nick would be embarrassed for me to admit this but I love Domino's. I know, shameful in a city full of all different kinds of pizza but hey I like it! But, back to Joe's... the sauce was my favorite part. I ended up picking off the pepperoni. Don't worry, those did not go to waste.... Nick was there to eat them!
Rating:
7.5/10
Cost: $5
Desert time, L'arte de Gelato:
It was time for a little desert... we had earned it. Is there anything better than a traditional Italian gelato place?! It was amazing. It reminded me of being back in Italy (oh, how I wish we were there now). I ordered the lemon sorbet and it was extremely refreshing and light. Nick opted for 2 flavors: biscotti and chocolate/hazelnut combination. He loved his as much as I loved mine... we didn't share to well on this one!
Rating:
Lemon: 10/10
Pisciotti: 11/10 (according to Nick it was that good - and I would have to agree from the one bite he allowed me)
Chocolate/hazelnut: 7/10
Cost: $8
Last on the list, Fat Witch Brownies:
We walked up to Chelsea Market where Fat Witch Brownies are located. Apparently these brownies are the best in the city. It was a cute store and I have to admit I really love their packaging. We each got our own brownie and made our way to relax on the High Line. Unfortunately, I don't agree these are the best brownies in the city. They were good but not that good. Nick was even nice enough to say he preferred the brownies I made! So sweet.
Rating:
6/10
Cost: $9 (for three)
Needless to say we were quite tired and VERY full when we arrived back home. We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap and relaxing on the couch. One would think we would have no room for dinner but I did make some spaghetti and salad.
A home cooked meal was a fantastic way to end a wonderful day in the city!
Love this blog. Such a great idea!
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